The Kangaroo Island Easter Art Exhibition will be back in 2020, but with the island community reeling from the impact of a summer firestorm like nothing in living memory, the event is now scheduled to launch in late September.
UPDATE, April 3rd, 2020: Artists Collective KI committee members continue to monitor the situation with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. The needs of the local community will be top-of-mind in all future decision-making with regard to the 2020 exhibition.
The decision to postpone the traditional Easter weekend exhibition was not lightly made by members of the organizing body, Artists Collective KI. With final entries due for submission by March 1st, feedback from local artists indicated that it was too soon, and simply overwhelming. In a statement, Artists Collective KI explained “Events are too recent and feelings too raw.”
Many artists have been impacted. Some have lost everything. Some have lost artwork. Some have been unable to access their home or studio for an extended period. Some are not yet ready to begin rebuilding their lives.
With the decision made, plans are underway for a September 26 Opening Night, with the exhibition open to the public for two full weeks.
With the traditional exhibition rescheduled to allow local artists time to take a deep breath, to recover, reflect, assess, consider and create, the local community was still looking forward to welcoming visitors to Kangaroo Island during the 2020 Easter weekend. But 2020 is turning out to be a very different year, with the explosion of a global pandemic!
In what feels very foreign to a community with hospitality buried deep in it’s DNA, Islanders are asking non-residents to observe government direction and stay away from Kangaroo Island for Easter 2020.
While this means you won’t be able to visit in person and follow the Kangaroo Island Easter Art Trail or get up close and personal with local wildlife this year, you can still explore Kangaroo Island galleries and purchase beautiful art by visiting them online. And if spending time relaxing at home feels like it just won’t be the same without a touch of Kangaroo Island, help is definitely at hand!
Amazing local businesses are still here, working hard, and ready to ship your favorite Kangaroo Island food, beer, wines, spirits and so much more, right to your door! With all this at your fingertips, we’re sure your Easter weekend is still on track to be amazing. And all going according to plan, we’ll be here ready to welcome you back for the On The Edge exhibition just in time for South Australia’s October long weekend!
September is the beginning of Spring for Kangaroo Island – a time of new beginnings. When suddenly everything looks different in the world around us. We can’t wait to see what the Island’s artists have in store for us as they look to the future.
So have a wonderful Easter, wherever you are and if you find yourself dreaming of a trip to Kangaroo Island later in the year, you’ll find a range of options for travel and great places to stay here.
